Are zines ever too long?

Typing up the raw copy for my next zine, I was surprised to have over 7,000 words begging to be edited. Up until now my zines have been anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 words, turning into a 24 to 40 page 1/4 size zine.

My question is, can zines ever be too long? Are you turned off by mammoth-size zines, even if they are well written? Maybe they do the opposite?

Replies to This Discussion

I like them, if they're good. Truckface is a good example- very thick, but I'd never want it to be shorter. I also remember some zine I read a while back that was consistently about 60 pages, 1/2 legal, and I liked every issue I read.
So, in my opinion, if it's good, I'm going to want more of it, so more is good.
I think it's harder to make a long zine good and approachable, and you're probably going to turn some people off right away. But if it's good, most people are going to like it, no matter what.

the longest zine i've read was no gods no masters, issue 8 -- 60 pages -- and i loved it. i think the key is to keep it interesting. vary the layout, add drawings or photos, write some parts by hand and type others or change fonts.
as star blanket river child said, some people might not pick up a long zine. long or text heavy zines intimidate me. but if a zine is captivating, i think it always feels too short!

I like long, small, thick zines. I don't think there's such a thing as too long... that is, if the writing has been edited and you're not just rambling. I'd definitely be more likely to pick up a long zine instead of a short one if it's not too pricey.

What size font are you using? Mine are 24pg 1/4 sized, and I manage to fit 4,000 words plus pictures into that, so 7,000 words sounds absolutely fine to me. I'm always happy to get a hefty zine, I've often been disappointed by zines that look thick but then turn out to not have much content in them, lots of empty space and large print.

I find that most writers stop writing when they feel finished with what they have to say and I think that is perfect. It's definitely all about the content and I would rather not have a writer leave out important details just because s/he wants to stick to a certain length, or drag out unnecessary details to make their zine seem more substantial. That said, I am slightly more attracted to longer zines if the content is right. The average for me is probably 40 pages.